Human Computer Data Interaction

Stats, Algorithms, and Applications

Susan Vanderplas

January 1, 2026

Outline

Introduction
CSI: Statistics and the Fundamentals of Science
Perception & Statistical Graphics
Machine Learning for Forensics

Introduction

2009	BS, Psychology & Applied Math
2011	MS, Statistics
2015	Ph.D., Statistics Dissertation: Perception of Statistical Graphics

Introduction

2015-18	Stat. Analyst, NE Public Power
2018-19	Research Asst. Professor, CSAFE
2020-24	Asst. Professor, UNL
2024-26	Assoc. Professor, UNL

Recent Work

Can You See The Change? Visual Perception in Change Point Analysis (JCGS)
Fudolig, Robinson, and Vanderplas. 2025
Automated Residual Plot Assessment With the R Package autovi and the Shiny Application autovi.web (Aus & NZ Journal of Stats)
Li, Cook, Tanaka, Vanderplas, and Ackermann. 2025
Perception and Cognitive Implications of Logarithmic Scales for Exponentially Increasing Data: Perceptual Sensitivity Tested with Statistical Lineups (JCGS)
Robinson, Howard, Vanderplas. 2025
A Guide to Designing Experiments to Test Statistical Graphics (WIRE Computational Statistics)
Robinson, Hofmann, Vanderplas. 2025

Recent Work

Methodological problems in every black-box study of forensic firearm comparisons (Law, Probability, and Risk)
Cuellar, Vanderplas, Luby, Rosenblum. 2024
Incorrect statistical reasoning in Guyll et al. leads to biased claims about strength of forensic evidence (PNAS)
Rosenblum, Chin, Ogburn, Nishimura, Westreich, Datta, Vanderplas, Cuellar, Thompson. 2024
Hidden Multiple Comparisons Increase Forensic Error Rates (PNAS)
Vanderplas, Carriquiry, Hofmann. 2024

Funded Grants

2025, NSF CAREER, What Do You See? Perception, Decisions, and Statistical Graphics ($550,000)
2020-2024, NIST, CSAFE Project lead: Footwear Class Characteristics and Human Factors ($20 mil for CSAFE, $456,930 sub-award)
2019/2021, NIJ, Automatic Acquisition and Identification of Footwear Class Characteristics ($380,650)
2020, USDA-NRCS, Improving the Economic and Ecological Sustainability of US Crop Production through On-Farm Precision Experimentation ($4 mil total, $400,000 for 3 UNL PIs)
2019, NSF, Overcoming the Rural Data Deficit to Improve Quality of Life and Community Services in Smart & Connected Small Communities ($1.5 mil total, $123,445 sub-award)

CSI: Statistics (and the fundamentals of Science)

Screenshot of an Innocence Project article titled “Three Freed, and FBI Continues to Review Ballistic Cases,” discussing unreliable bullet‑matching forensic methods and related overturned convictions. Article url: https://innocenceproject.org/news/three-freed-and-fbi-continues-to-review-ballistic-cases/

Screenshot of an ABA Journal article titled “Crime labs under the microscope after a string of shoddy, suspect and fraudulent results,” including a photo illustration labeled “Crimes in the Lab” on evidence bags. Article url: https://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/crime_labs_under_the_microscope_after_a_string_of_shoddy_suspect_and_fraudu

Screenshot of a Washington Post opinion piece titled “Incredibly, prosecutors are still defending bite mark evidence,” displaying a dental X‑ray image beneath the headline. Article url: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/01/30/incredibly-prosecutors-are-still-defending-bite-mark-evidence/

Screenshot of an Ars Technica article titled “Buggy breathalyzer code reflects importance of source review,” describing court‑ordered audits that found serious software flaws in breathalyzer machines. Article url: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/05/buggy-breathalyzer-code-reflects-importance-of-source-review/

Screenshot of an article titled “Earprints as evidence?” with a grayscale image grid showing multiple photographed ears marked with numbered annotations used for forensic comparison. Article url: https://phys.org/news/2006-02-earprints-evidence.html

Screenshot of an article from The Guardian in 2004 titled 'Earprint landed innocent man in jail for murder'. Article url: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jan/23/ukcrime1

A screenshot of an article by Meehan Crist and Tim Requarth from The Nation (Feb 26, 2018 issue). The title reads 'Forensic Science Put Jimmy Genrich in Prison for 24 Years. What if It Wasn’t Science?'. A mugshot is shown below the article title. — Source

A Colorado Public Media story by Tom Hesse from July 10, 2023, titled 'Judge orders new trial for Grand Junction man convicted in '90s pipe bombings'. A picture of the Mesa County Justice Center is shown below the article title. — Source

Human Computer Data Interaction

Outline

Introduction

Introduction

Recent Work

Recent Work

Funded Grants

CSI: Statistics (and the fundamentals of Science)

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